(This author's note was previously published as a separate part but has now been combined with a proper, although short filler, chapter!)

Quite a few readers were confused as to why Jay wouldn't 'remember' Skylor (and she didn't recognise him either!), so just to clarify a few things:

- This is an AU diverting from the canon storyline after Rebooted. It takes place 6 years after S3, which in this storyline corresponds to after Hands of Time.

- Main events of S4-S7 have happened, but not in exactly the same way (and relevant details will gradually be revealed through flashback scenes and other 'memories'). Here's a little spoiler: It wasn't Zane who was taken by Chen, meaning that PIXAL was never scrapped 😊! This chapter hints to who it was - can you guess why?

- Jay has left the team after Zane's funeral and hasn't had any interaction with the others since.

- He therefore has never met Skylor (well, he has now) or the other Masters, doesn't know about Zane being alive and Titanium, doesn't know about Nya being an Elemental Master, hasn't learned to form an Elemental Dragon or to do Airjitzu, doesn't know about Ray and Maya being alive etc.

-- -- --

Chapter 4 (Jay)

Six Years Ago, some time after the previous flashback

"Ed & Enda's Scrap N Junk." My mother's voice greets me once again over the phone. "Good afternoon, this- oh, it's you, honey, isn't it?"

"It is." I confirm. "How are you, mum?"

"Much better now." She sighs. "Do you have any idea how worried we've been, your father and I?"

"Ed, darling, it's Jay on the phone. He sounds fine." I hear her shout. "Are you?" She then asks into the speaker.

"Of course, I'm fine." I reply. I'm actually more than just that. Spending time on the Floating Ruins, surrounded by my element, has really helped. As strange as it may sound, I feel both bursting with energy and calmed down at the same time.

But it actually makes perfect sense, considering how I have used my time up there. As expected, the electric storm was interfering with my phone reception, so I was completely isolated from the outside world.

I've spent many hours – or was it days? – meditating, something I've always hated but now I am really grateful for Sensei Wu's lessons. And I've also kept up with my physical training.

Fuelled by the electric storm, I didn't need to sleep, eat or drink at all, so I have no idea how long I was away.

But from the sound of it, it must have been a while...

"H-How long has it been since my last call?" I ask.

"Almost four months, sweetie." My mum swallows, and I picture her in my mind, how she is clutching the old-fashioned receiver and tears glistening in her gentle eyes.

"I-I am so sorry, I didn't realise..." I stammer.

"It's fine, sweetie." Now she is the one to reassure me. "I've heard from your friends what happened. I understand that you needed some time on your own."

"They were back?" I know I shouldn't worry about my former teammates right now and rather focus on my parents, but the power of distraction has always done wonders in the Walker family.

"Mmh, lemme think... a few days after we last talked, there was a letter from Nya." Mum answers after a short moment. "Then, Kai was here. He was very upset, something had happened to his sister, and they needed to save her. He left you a Fortune Cookie but it's probably gone off by now..."

"Nya's in trouble?" I gasp. She's always had a talent for getting into trouble. How many times since I've known her has she been kidnapped now? But that doesn't make it any more serious...

"She was." Mum replies. "But that was maybe six weeks ago, and all the Ninja plus Nya and a couple of new friends with strange powers were back in Ninjago after that, fighting some nasty purple snakes. But they haven't really appeared in public since then like you used to do, only turning up when there's trouble anywhere and disappearing again. The school has been closed down as well and, from what I've heard, they've rebuilt that flying ship of yours."

I'm glad to hear they're fine. But I should have been there to help, or... no, I'm out of all this. And it sounds like they're getting on fairly well without me or Zane – and apparently they have found replacements for us already anyway.

But that still leaves my parents. I've caused them a lot of worries, and now that I am doing better, I need to take care of them. It should be safe to stay with them for a while, until I've figured out what I'm gonna do next.

I wonder if this newfound connection with my element means I can now also tap into my True Potential again...

I close my eyes and summon my powers, while focussing on my parents and my childhood home.

And in a flash (yes, pun totally intended) I find myself standing in the junkyard, right in front of my parents' trailer.

I'm home.

-- -- --

Present Day

Completely overwhelmed by this latest development, I somehow manage to stumble across the room and plop ungracefully into my chair, gasping for air as everything spins around me.

How could I have not noticed this before?

Abby is so much like me, no wonder we've gotten on so well, and her backstory (at least the parts of it that I have heard so far) fits perfectly with my own, just like matching pieces of a puzzle.

My eyes fall onto the metal robot we've had so much fun building together. What did she mean with 'one of her uncles looks like this'? Did they have Cyrus Borg build another Nindroid to replace Zane?

Deep in my thoughts, I hear neither the knocking nor the opening and closing of my door, or the soft footsteps approaching my position.

I shoot up when a hand is carefully placed on my shoulder.

"Jay?" I find myself looking into the worried grey eyes of my best friend. "Are you alright?" Kath wants to know.

"I-I don't know." I sigh. "I've just... I don't know." A sob escapes my lips as my eyes are welling with tear.

Katherine sits down on the chair next to mine and pulls me into a hug. "Shh, it's okay." She says soothingly and she gently strokes my hair, as if I was one of the kids from her kindergarten class. "It's all gonna be fine."

I'm not so sure about that but it feels good to have a friend comforting me. And she doesn't let go but keeps rubbing my back as I cry into her shoulder.

"What happened?" She asks as I pull back. "If you want to talk about it, that is."

"I-I do." I nod. I know her darkest secret, so it's only fair to tell her mine. "Just... gimme a moment, okay?"

"Sure." She smiles as she hands me a tissue from her pocket. "Here."

"Thanks." I return a weak smile. "You've come prepared..."

"Basic kindergarten teacher equipment." Kath shrugs. "You want a lollie as well?"

"I wouldn't want to take any sweets away from a five-year old in need..." I can't help but let out a little chuckle as I wipe the tears – well, those few tears that have not soaked my friend's formerly pink striped top – from my face and blow my nose as quietly as possible, then I very slowly walk over to the bin to throw away the used tissue.

I take a deep breath before I eventually turn around to face my friend who is looking at me expectantly.

"I've met Abby's mum, she was here to collect her daughter." I start, and Katherine's eyes lit up.

"Aaand?" She grins at me. "How do you like her?"

"It was Nya." I state.

"Yes, Nya Smith." Kath says eagerly. "That's Abby's mum - Abby's single mum, if I may say so."

"And Nya Smith, my ex-girlfriend."

"Oh..." Kath's face falls. "Like, the same Nya who broke your heart when she left you for your best friend? That one?"

I don't reply but the look on my face tells her my answer anyway.

"I-I'm so, so sorry. I didn't know it was her." Kath hugs me again. "It must have been so hard for you to see her, and with a child. And here I was, thinking that you two would make a cute couple. But you gotta believe me, I would have never asked you to mind Abby if I had known. And..."

"It's not your fault." I reassure her. "You couldn't know."

On the other, there is something that she might know. "C-can you tell me Abby's birthday?"

"Why are you ask-" Her eyes widen. "You think she could be-"

I give her a look that says 'C'mon, you know Abby, and you know me. How could she not?'

She blushes. "I... uhm..."

"I understand if you don't have it right now or if you are not allowed to share these details; as a teacher I can just ask the school office."

Katherine needs to think for a moment before she answers. "We have all the birthdays displayed in our class and you are a teacher here, so I guess it should be fine to tell you."

I hold my breath, unsure which outcome I am hoping for.

"Abigail's date of birth is May 12th, 2015." Kath finally says, and I quickly do the maths.

"That was seven months after we broke up." I remark dryly. And I know enough biology to understand what that means... as does Kath.

"You have a child." She gasps. "I can't believe it. And such an adorable one..."

"Hey." I pretend to take offense. "I am adorable, too."

"You are an idiot who has missed almost five and a half years of his daughter's life." She reminds me. "So tell me, Mr Walker. What are you gonna do about it now?"

That's a good question. I honestly haven't thought this far.

But it's actually not that difficult to answer. No matter what has happened – and whatever will happen – between me and Nya, Abby is our daughter and I am going to take responsibility for that and be her father.

Speaking about father, I am kinda curious about what went wrong between Nya and Cole - for both Abby and Kath have repeatedly emphasised that Nya is raising her daughter more or less on her own.

Did he break up with her when he found out she was carrying someone else's – my – baby? No, that wouldn't be his style. But then, I had never thought that going after his best friend's girl would be his style either...

But this is not my main concern now.

First, I need to get back in contact with them, and that's not gonna be easy.

Sure, I could ask Kath for Nya's phone number, but guessing from her earlier reaction, my ex-girlfriend would not be happy about that. And as these numbers are for emergency use only, this could then get my best friend into a lot of trouble – or even fired – for sharing confidential information.

I need to figure out a way to contact them. Maybe I can use the same way that they've tried to contact me. And even if not, it will be good to talk to my parents about this mess I've gotten myself into.

Luckily, it's Friday and I'll have the day off tomorrow.

I'm going home.